This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

This was a wtfffff did I just read moment so so good I loved this tea kept me at the edge of my seat I can not wait till others are able to read this because it’s so juicy I will recommend this page turner

CRUEL & BITTER THINGS
By Joseph Souza
This one was quite a wild ride! I found the FMC to be very unique, and really enjoyed the way the author developed her character and situation. There were elements of the conclusion that did feel pretty obvious but that did not detract from the enjoyment I had during the last few chapters seeing how things would come together. The pacing was steady and the characters were well developed even if some elements of their behavior were unbelievable, I found myself saying out loud: “oh no she/he did not just do that!” a few times through this book and I really think this story will be well received among the domestic thriller audience as a fresh take on the genre. 4.5⭐️ #JosephSouza #arcreader #arcreview #netgalley #bookstagram #thrillerbooks
Many thanks to @netgalley @josephsouza2060 @levelbestbooks for the ARC🖤

Cruel and Bitter Things is one of the first psychological thrillers that deeply engaged me in a long time. It's an exploration of the dark mind of a serial killer, Gwynn, with the theme of nature vs. nurture, the impact of past actions in the present and concept of good and evil. I found the pacing to be slower at times but suspenseful and kept me interested to see where the story goes.

I liked this but there was a lack of character development that had me thinking about what this could've been if I gotten closer to thee characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the third book that I’ve read by this author and it was just okay for me. The storyline was good, but I felt there could have been more character development.

This book had a slow start. The initial pace and character development might not capture your attention immediately, but the narrative picks up and delivers some unexpected surprises. This story definitely took time to build a rich world of complex characters before revealing their full potential. Even though you might struggle initially, you must persevere through the opening chapters to fully appreciate the intricate storytelling that unfolds.

Cruel and Bitter Things started off amazing, teetered off in the middle, and ended with a dud. I expected more at the end since the beginning was so strong. I want to give it 3.5, but since we can’t, 3 is what it gets.

Gwynn Denning is a serial killer with a haunted past. She believes she is killing people who deserve it due to some horrific crime they have not been punished for and/or because she wants to keep her own child safe in her home only. She meets Detective Peters after her third consecutive murder and things start to go awry for her and Peters then. Will she be caught? Will she go free?

This book was hard for me to get into to. It does start pretty slow and some of the characters are lackluster. Eventually it does start to get better and the twist and turns keep you on your toes.

I made it to 22% in before DNFing, here is why:

-The book starts strong and promising
-Writing style takes a bit of time to get used to, then is engaging
-Then things started to take a turn, for the worst in my opinion.

Context: I read a lot of horror books, particularly splatterpunk and extreme horror, so when I pick a thriller up, I am hoping to not have the elements found in those genres in a thriller.

The events that happened in this book needed a trigger warning:
-Animal loss
-Self harm and extreme blood loss
-Drugging
-The usage of the word "rape" about" 40 times in the first two chapters

I didn't get much further after these as they were very unexpected for a thriller. This began to feel like trauma writing early on unfortunately, with the most intense and extreme things you can think of thrown in and not given proper weight. Due to this, the execution was lacking in my opinion, and this book was much darker than I anticipated. I think this should have been categorized differently maybe?

I did not enjoy the fact that everything seemed to happen at once, and then we have a therapist thrown in the mix, which seems cliche to me and unrealistic, and then very intense and serious things are not given the weight they truly need, making for a weird reading experience.

Thank you for providing me with a free eARC. I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

3.5 stars. This was a roller coaster ride from the first chapter and I was just along for the ride! It was such a page-turner! I couldn’t stop

Cruel and Bitter Things by Joseph Souza is the kind of thriller that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until the final twist. I devoured this book in a single sitting. The plot feels fresh and original, packed with sharp turns and unexpected reveals that kept me completely hooked. The characters are dynamic and exciting, each adding tension and intrigue in just the right doses. And that ending? Pitch perfect! Totally satisfying without being predictable.

This isn’t a story that tries to be overly cerebral, and honestly, that’s part of its charm. It knows exactly what it is: a smart, tightly written popcorn thriller that delivers on a high entertainment level. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick, twisty, high octane read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Level Best Books, and Joseph Souza for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a strong start to the Bad Choices series, it had that element that I was looking for in a good mystery novel. I was invested in what was happening with Gwynn in this storyline and how the story was being told. The rest of the characters were realistic and was invested in what was going on in this storyline. Joseph Souza wrote this well and left me wanting to read the next book in this series asap.

I absolutely loved this book!! It had me hooked from the first chapter! I wish this story would’ve never ended because it was so good! I always love a “good guy” falls for “bad guy” storyline and this one did that and then some! First story I’ve read from this author but definitely won’t be the last! I really hope he writes another story to pick up where this one left off because I have so many questions and theories and I need answers!

I don't even know where to begin. The ending started out really slow for me and I almost DNF'd it but I kept going. We are following Gwynn who we soon find out is not who she seems and we find out her intentions. This book kept me hooked once I got past the first few chapters and I found myself not being able to put it down. Is it my absolute favorite thriller? Not even by a longshot but it is worth the read.

The ending though leaves alot to be desired. I wanted it wrapped up better than that....

3.5 stars rounded up :)

**I received this book for free as an arc in exchange for my honest review***
Thank you NetGalley!

Books are great for so many things, not the least of which is fodder for your therapist, because DAMN, I think this unlocked (or at least brought to light) a bit of a vigilante kink.

Who knew?

I loved a lot about this book (aside from the Dexter-esque murder).

I loved the characters (give me strong females getting shit done), I loved the setting of the home for neglected kids and the quarry, I particularly loved the secondary POV.

The ending was cuckoo-town, and the perfect way to end this funhouse of a book.

I can’t wait to see where Book Two goes.

Yes! This is feminine rage and I am HERE FOR IT!
This was such a fun read... and I'm sure that seems weird to put it that way but it really was.
I rooted for her, the whole way through!

2 stars

Gwynn Denning is a serial killer. But she's always wrestled with her demons, and fought to do what's right throughout her life; heck she even works as the director of a home for abused children. When she sees the man that allegedly assaulted her roommate back in college, she knows he has to die and she's the one who needs to kill him. Unfortunately for Gwynn, that one action leads to a cascading domino effect of problems that she decides will require further killings if she has any hope of saving herself from jail.

This was a thriller that ultimately fell flat for me, which is too bad because the plot really had some decent potential to be good. Mainly, I couldn't find any sympathy for the main character - or any character actually - and the execution of everything else felt underwhelming. Gwynn's motivations were quite clear - she wanted to get rid of bad people (which I get) and wanted to make sure nothing and no one would get between her and her young son (which I also get). However, her processes were clunky, her inner thoughts and justifications were unconvincing, and somehow she still seemed to have all the men revolving in her life falling over themselves to protect her from her own failings. Ugh. The fact that the head detective on the case just completely talked himself out of any feelings he had that she was guilty because he was attracted to her was so yuck, and their whole relationship was cringe-worthy. There were definitely some twists that I didn't see coming, but none of it resolved into a satisfying conclusion (don't even get me started on that terrible ending with her whiny, estranged husband and his ultimatum - just, no.) Ultimately this felt like it needed another editing pass or two; I'm sorry but this is one book that I say you can leave on the shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

Cruel & Bitter Things is a wild ride through the mind of a serial killer. You almost can't help but find parts of Gwynn charming and root for her. I enjoyed the twists in the story and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Gwynn has had unhealthy, homicidal thoughts since she was a child. She began acting on them as a teenager, believing that what she was doing was ridding the world of bad people. She gets mental health help to try to keep her thoughts at bay. As an adult, she finishes college and gets a job in Social Work. She has a successful career, a five year old son, and a husband who is her friend. However, she is not in love with him, and she claims he is controlling of her. Following a separation, she runs into an old college acquaintance who may have date raped her roommate. She kills him, and the dominoes begin to fall as she tries to cover up her crime. She falls for the detective over the murder case, and discovers very dark things about her family roots in the process.

This was a good book that kept me reading to find out what happened. The descriptive visuals were good. It looks as it will be part of a series, and I am hoping there will be a sequel. I had some unanswered questions... Did her roommate really get raped or was she being the drama queen she was described as being? How in the world did the detective get by with the things he did, I can't believe a love interest would cause him to throw away his work ethics and career. What happened to Sandra's dog? Did Nyugen survive? Why is everyone in her life willing to keep her killings a secret?